07 July 2011

Boris Johnson's codswallop and the Hammersmith Tories

Earlier this year, our Tory councillors proudly hosted the launch of Boris Johnson's mayoral re-election campaign at Hammersmith Town Hall (even if Boris did sneak in a side entrance to avoid families and other residents protesting against cuts: see here).

Now, as the country reels from the vile behaviour of the News of the World, we should remember how last year Johnson called the phone hacking allegations “a song and dance about nothing” and “politically motivated codswallop”.

This morning, he tried desperately to change his tune and call for an “immediate enquiry”. Yet in April, just three months ago, he was still making light of the whole thing, saying it is “embarrassing for any self-respecting celeb that they haven’t been hacked”.

Ken Livingstone has just issued a short video statement and asked Boris Johnson a series of questions he has to answer: click here.

Ken says, "Over the last few days the horrible truth about the reality of what was going on at the News of the World has been exposed for all to see. There are few words that can describe the hacking of murder and terrorist victims as well as the families of those who died serving our country abroad. Boris Johnson has shown dire judgement. As Mayor, if he had taken a different approach when this story was first published, the whole course of events could have been different."

Their whooping support for Boris looks like yet another blunder by the Hammersmith Tories.